Jar-opener.



J. F. MQGAIN.

JAB. OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.3,1906.

900,297, Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Iii/$35555;

JOSEPH F. MCCAIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

JAR-OPENER.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed March a, 1906. Serial No. 303,971.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. MCCAIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain newand useful Im rovement in J ar- Openers, of which the fol owing is aspecification.

My invention relates to im rovements in jar openers, and has for its 0ject the production of a device that may be readily applied to lassfruit are for the purpose of removing t e cover t erefrom.

A further object is the production of a device that can be cheaplyconstructed, and one that is least liable to get out of order.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained bymy device, embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a lan view of my device; Fig. 2

is a sectional vlew on the line AA of Fig. 1

looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 3 is a sectionalview on line BB of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line CC of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows; and Fig.5 is a erspective viewshowing my device use in opening an ordinar tin can.

Like letters of re erence indicate like parts in the several figures ofthe drawing.

Referring to Fig. 1, the ends of the ring member 1 are extendedoutwardly, one side terminating in a pivot point 11 and the twoelongations 12 furnishing a handle for the device. In order to retainthe end-of the handle in position a cap 13 is laced thereon, the ivotpoint 11 extending t on h the end of t e cap. A metallic strip or co ar14 encircles the handle, having va pointed wedgeshaped projection 15extending toward the ring, and the downwardly projecting portion 16forming a cutting edge or knife blade. The projecting wedge comprises ahorizontally extending portion 15 and the u wardly extending portion orshank 15 al, however, being referably composed of one iece and integralwith the sliding collar 14 an the knife edge 16. I

The princi al use for which my device is intended to e used is theopening of filled Mason jars. It is well-known that in putting up fruitthematerial is placed in jars hot and full to the top. A rubber gasketis placed over the neck of the jar and a top screwed in place. As thecontents of the jar are boiling hot, the space between the top of thejar and the material is filled with steam which when cooled creates apartial vacuum, holding the cover more tightly in place and preventingthe admission of air. After the ar has. been sealed for any considerablelength of time, the cover becomes so tightly secured in place as to makeit very diflicult, if not impossible, to remove the same without'the useof some instrument and with a consequent danger of breaking the jar. Byusing my device the ring member 1* is placed over the top of the jar andthe pointed wedge 15 inserted between the bottom of the gasket and thetop of the body of the jar. The device is then twisted entirely aroundthe jar, loosening the gasket and allowing air to enter, thus destroyingthe vacuum. The cover can then be readily unscrewed by the use of verylittle force.

In the event that the device illustrated in I v Fig. 1 is desired to beused for a can opener,

the downwardly projecting pivot 11 is pressed into the center of the canand the cutting knife 16 (pressed into the top at any desired point anthe device is revolved on thepivot 11, using the ring 1 as a handle.

I claim 1. A jar opener formed from a single wire, comprising aring-shaped portion, a handle extending therefrom, said handlecomprising parallel members, a frame movably seated on said members andcarrying a wedge-shaped member extending toward the ring-member.

2. A jar opener formed from a single wire, comprising a ring-shapedportion, a handle extending therefrom, said handle comprising parallelmembers s aced apart, a frame movably seated on sai members and carryinga wedge-shaped member extending toward the ring-member.

3. A jar opener formed from a single wire, comprising a ring-shapedportion, a handle extending therefrom, said handle comprisingparallel'members s aced apart, a frame movably seated on sai members andcarrying a wedge-shaped member extending toward the ring-member andlocated in a plane below that of the ring-member.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 20th day of Feb.1906.

JOSEPH F. MoCAIN.

